Apparatus for metering conversations in automatic telephone systems.



(3r. GRABE, I APPARATUS FOR METBRZKG GONVERSATIONS IN AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE SYSTEMS.

APPLIOATION FILED 11111524, 191:.. 3,

mma Au 18, 1914.

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- y 'r y fl zf v w j m G. G-RABE, APPARATUS FOR METERING GONVERS'ATIONS IN AUTOM'ATIGTBLEPHONE SYSTEMS.

'APPLIOATIORIILED 11111324, 1911. v 1 31g? 39$ Patentefl Aug". 18, 19M;

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] UNITED srnriis rrlranr enrich.

. canons GRABE, or nrKoLAssnn, NEAR BERLIN, GERMANY, nssxeno'n TO SIEMENS &

- HALSKE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT, BERLIN,

GERMANY.

GERMANY, a conronarron or QPPARATUS FOR METERING CONVERSATIONS IN AUTOMATIC TELEIHONE SYSTEMS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed June 24, 1911. Serial No. 635,202.

Patented Aug. 18, 1914 To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Gnonc GRABE, a subject of the German Emperor, residing at Nikolassee, near Berlin, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Metering Conversations in Automatic Telephone Systems, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for metering conversations in automatic telephone systems, in which the metering takes place after the termination of a conversation.

According to the invention the meter of the calling subscriber is connected in circuitby one or'more retarding relays which, when the automatic switches are released. after the termination of a conversation, temporarily connectthe actor in circuit.

In arrangements comprising line switches or pre-selectm's, selectors and connectors, in which a cut-ott' relay at the pro-selector is energized as long as the connection lasts, according to the invention when the preselector' is adjusted, a second relay in addition to the testing or cut-oil relay is energized, the arrangement being such that these two relays allow their armatures to fall at dili'erent speeds, and the meter circuit is closed in the interval resulting owing to the a'rmatures of the two relays falling at different speeds.

The cut-olt' relay is rendered currentless, as is requisite for breaking the connection in the pro-selector, in a manner known heretot'ore by means of a temporary interruptimi of the holding cu rrent tlowingby way of the private or third line. In order to negative the holding current at.- the pro-selector torn sutliciently long time, for the purpose of releasing the pro-selector, during which time both the cut-off relay and also the retarding relay in the pre-sc1ector may be currentless, according to the invention it provide in the selector an additional relay which, when the selector is released, keeps the, third line leading to the pro-selector interrupted for a sutliciently long time. This action is obtained by temporarily connecting a high resistanc relayinto the third line at the selector lent ing to the pro-selector during the release of the selector, in order to negative the action of the holding current in the relay of the pro-selector. The current which in this case still remains in the third line suiiices, however, for energizing this relay which holds itself connected to the line until the latter is interrupted at the pro-selector.

In arrangements in which the selectors are;

released by the called subscribed orwhen the required line is engaged, the first selec tor and the preselector of the calling suhscriber is to be released only when the calling subscriber has replaced his receiver. According to the invention when an adjusted first selector is released the holding current flowing in the third line leading to the pro-selector is first interrupted for a short time. Subsequently after the circuit of the holding current has been closed, for a long 1 til) time, the circuit for registering the finishui.

conversation is: closed by way of one or both of the branches of the talking line during the short interruption of the third line.

Figure l is a diagrammatical representation of a subscribers station with its presclcctor and. a first group, selector; Fig, 2

represents diagrammatically the line con-1 net-tor; Fig. 3 is a side elevation, and Fig. 4 a plan View of a control switch for the group selector,

A calling station T, is connected by way of the pro-selector VW, a selector GW and a connector L'W, e. g. of the known Strowger type, with the called line 04,, b

In the drawing the selectors are shown in that position which they occupy during'a conversation, only those parts of the eonncclions and apparatus being shown, for the sake of clearness, which are requisite for understanding the invention.

ii he n the calling subscriber lifts the receiver at the station '1, line branches a and b are connected at that station, whereby relay R at the preselector VW is energized by way of the subscribers line, and the feeding magnet D of the preselector is thrown into operation. At the first stroke of this magnet head contacts Z2, and k are opened and k is closed. By opening k, the line of the caller is blocked. By the opening of 7.: an l closing of k relay l) is connected with the battery G and rendered independent of electro-magnet R. The switch arm of the'preselector VW now moves through the opera tion of DV until a free line to the group st line c reluy T in the prcselectcr VW docs receive suiiicient current and there- :iore can not be sufliciently energized. On the other he-nail the group selector Gl V is then the current flows to the ground o the battery G by way of the contact 'r s 1 end 2 of the cut-oil" and testing i switch lever conductor 0 2e nee @0 contacts- 72/ o side switch lever position 1 coil 2 of the testing relay P the side switch lever 53 in position 1.. and P are hereby energized.

. reluv r hile disconnecting the relay 1% the relay connects subscribers lines a, a by we y the contracts 5 to the switch levers o the retarding relay V by way of contactt 'into a local holding circuit wnichis connected by the battery G by way of thecontsci; 5' and the coil of the relay V 0, ground. The relay V which is hereby hergizcd prepares the circuit broken. at the outset a} for the meter by closing its contoot o breaks at contact o the circuit for rotary electromagnet l) of the preselector Vi l, and at contact o connects the coil of the relay T by way cert cl; 2, to the battery G" I o the high resistance Winding m i u by T whereby the pro is occupied and the calling line any cells of other subscribers. uiccuisly the relay V interrupts oi; o wuit over relay ll, so that the selector et rest with its arms 0 0 0 on line f the head in the group selector Gi the 1d 133 are connected in position 1 un -cg line by way of the windings itinl rcluy X and the control arms .5 s A and B uttruct their e does not attract its e energized relay P brings lilfflfilb the connection of the side switch elecby way of the contact 79 to'the U whereby side switch is its second position. Now "re-- inergized, whereas T is enerr urn" If now the subscriber ata his selecting disk T the s grounded whereby relay *ougb the short circuiti' eby relay A remains encrwhen energized closes a l for B, so that this relu'y is open at b the circuit ngnets M and N. During circuit lit "l and. too releesin ope tion of selecting disk T the ciroyer conductor a; is repeatedly inter-- the conductor Z) remains r U135; X and lbreniein enerl'oW relay A is energized during this impulse period, lifting magnet H receives cu rent over contacts (5 and m and thereby l the shaft of the group selector GW one step. litthe first step heed contacts lo are closed closing contact 7 ne while uded, so

,soo

tic-magnet S is energized, whereas over k a circuit is set for selectorreleasing magnet M and control switch magnet N. After the return of the selecting disk T the grounding of conductors a, b is interrupted by the disk and A and B are again energized by the subscribers line a, l) relay X is dencrgized and thereby opens the circuit relay S at so that the control switch arms, operated by N are moved into position ii. In this position S is again energized by way of C(mtiiCl; p of solenoid l. Simultaneously a circuit for relay D closed over control arm 5 by way of the fast rotating interruptccU Relay D receives current impulses and turns the selecting arms of group selector GVV, until they contact with the terminal lines (4 b 0 of a free line selector INV. The detail or rungement of the contact arms and their movement is illustrated in Figsfi and l and will be described hereinafter in detail.

In the positions 3-45 of the control switch arm l the testing relay P is connected with the testing arm of the group selector. When the line selector is occupied line 0 is interrupted, because head contact is, is open and contact 5 is opened on account of the energizing of the relay B relay P of the group selector therefore remains decncrgized and thus the current for the magnet D closed, so that the switch arms arc continued to be operated. lVhcn the line selector is free, 0 is connected to buttery G through contacts of relay B by way of w arm 16 in position 1, contact Z1 back contact 6 Therefore relay l? is energized when the testing arm of the group selector contacts with line The relay P interrupts when energized, the circuit in which magnet 17 is locutcd, so thutthe selector arms remain at rest on lines a 7%, c Relay P simultaneously opens at p the circuit for the control magnet S so that the latter is decnergizcd and so that the control arms are brought into position 4. In this latter position wind ing Z is shortcircuitcd on magnet l by way of arm 5 whereby the current in l is increased. Simultaneously nnignctS directly connected with the interrupter U when arm (S is in the position l, so that S is ei'iergized for a short moment and. immediately decn-crgizcd whereby the control. switch arms of the group selector are brought into positijon.

ln the position -6 of arms 12 of the control switch line a 75, is connected with 5 and A, B X are disconnected from the. calling line a, Z). In place of these latter elements the relay in, B X5 oi the line selector Ll? are connected with the calling line a, Z). Relays A 13, are energized, X is riot energized. Relay B disconnects nt- 1),,- the buttery G from c. and thereby renders the line selector occ pied. l telay P of t group selector hes in can already denergieeo the group selector.

niomco in the position 4: of the control switch of Thus 29, is already ltlon 5 and control magnet 5 fixed. The group selector is speaking position. It now ?*{'2il.1l operates his numeral hes and l) are simultanell zelays X, and 3a, are encr Z: and relay B cxcitctcd opened i" l ms (in. f

9 way of l a local circuit by Way of a contact m lielay ll, closes at in, the circuit for magnet which is thereby energized. the

H 11611 at tho subscribefs station rche line 5 remains grounded, whereas rent thrci (5 is intermpb t ain combo]? of TGSPUIZQUI}; with iuunbcr which sulmcribcr had prcviusly selected. fit each interruotion relay dc inergised and closes line sch cull ilion, which uit over at 4. LINE impulses are produced for relay A whcribv operating in a .l) is actuatci'l and the selectingarbor is turned until its arms make contact with the desired line. When the nu moral disk has reached its resting position, lines a, J) are disconnected from the ground, rclay X, drops its aruuiture and interrupts the current for control magnet 3 so that the latter is again dciinergizcd and shifts the control switch into position 3. hi this position relay Y is connected as a testing relay with the testing arm of LVV.

If the desired line is otherwise occupied, the prcsolector of the latter has its contact .t- (Fig. 1) open and therefore relay Y in the line selector can not be nor-glued. Ii

on the other hand the desired line is free then its prcselector contact 70 is closed so that battery G is connected over contact 10 windings ti and t1", of T and k at the preselector to line Through this connection relay Y is energized and connects relay S with interrupter U by means of contact '1 l that relay S is energized and denergized b' the interrunter whereb the control lever is brought on to the fourth contact. In this position S, is connected directly with U by way of arm 9, so that the control switch is moi-"ed to the fifth position. From the fifth EHlL-iitlflil to and including the eighth position line 0,, is grounded directly by Way of arm 13 of the control switch by Which the occupied condition of the desired line is maintained. Relay Y is then disconnected :from line At the moment the desired line is occupied (in case it was free) relay T. count-acted with the preselector and thus rein ll of this preselcctor disconnected from '1' subs oer now can not himself call. In the fourth yos'tion. of the control switch of the ne actor arm 1]. also closes a circuit for relay ll, so that thereby the her is notified by an alarm. position oi the arms the ringconnected with a switch P time intervals, for instance tem 'iorarily closes its circuit us periodically. energizes clay L iodieally ccntinucs'calling the de- ..ier from the current source RQ. l. subscriber answers, that is, ruuoves he receiver, the line a Jil'lflifln is connected with b so that relay is cnci'gized (by way of relay Y, arms 11:: 10, line 6,, subscriber line 0,, arm 12,

inn; coil UR, battery G). Relay Y inat 3 the circuit of relay L and sects relay $5 which operates switch, with U so that S is crzrergizec and denergized whereby the control.

s1 5th position, in which the circuit for fil is broken by B, and Y at contacts The line selector is now in condition. to permit speaking. in this talking position the relays A, B, X are disconnected from the lines (4 t, and the latter are connected with the lines a 6 the testing line 0 being connected by way of the side switch levers L and 5 to the low resistance coil-2 of the testing relay P. The connector LVV is adjusted in similar known manner to the re quired line (1 6,, its side switch S, being placed in the through position 7 after the called subscriber has been called and has announced himself.

In the through position not only the relays A l5 X but also. arch-Ly Y and a choking coil l l by way in which the microphones oi. the stations of the subscribers subscriber line, so that the calledv switch is brought into.

speaking to one another are fed with cnr rent, are connected to the two sides of the talking circuit divided by condensers in the connector. The line 0 is interrupted at the connector ii /V.

When after the termination the conversation the calling or called. subscriber replaces his telephone the relays A B X and the relay Y becomes cnrrentless and in this manner the side switch electroniagnet S is connected by way of the contacts 5 or y side switch lever 9 to interrupter U whereby the side switch magnet S is energized and brin s the said switch of connector Liv out of its sixth position into the seventh position In. this position the net S is connected by way contacts o or y coil 1 of relay Q3, side switch lever 9 oi": the side switch electroinag c to an interrupter U whereby the relay t is ener gized in l, simultaneously, the sine switch electroaiagiiet brings the side switch of the connector L13 in o position When the relay Q attracts armature it closes the contacts (1 and (1 and opens the contact g Uwing to the contact being closed the line (Z is grounded and the metering circuit is made at the connmtor. Owing "to the contact being closed a current flows from. the battery G by way of the contact 7 coil 2 of the relay Q, resistance co line side switch lever of the selector il /l ill position 5, and relay l to ground. This relay P is energized and connects in circuit the side switch olectii'omagnet S by oil the side switch lever 5, the cont interrupter U, the selector (l 11 passes iron position 5 into position 6. A G the holding circuit of the relay T teinporarily interrupted. in the line 0 at the side switch lever 3. The cut-oil: relay T consequently lets its armature -tall and the coir tact t closed. As the retarding relay V holds its armature attrac for some time longer, however as long the side switch of the selector (ill located in nosi ion '8 the iucicr 51 receives a currei 1 from the it tery G by way oi? the contact meter 1 4,

'. 'i lever atline a side the Fillther, in position 6 the side swi eh electroniagnct S is directly connected nith the in terrnptcr il and the stitch of lector moves from position 8 into no .uon 4., in which the circuit for the cut-oil relay T is closed again at the switch lever 23, in order that this relay ii" may be energized and the metering circuit brohcn at the contact 5' The relays A, B, X are simultaneously connected again. to the talking; line and the relays Q; and are rendered cxu'rcntless owing-g to their ci? its the the switch lever &. The relay Q releases armature and closes the contact 7 If relay Y is currentlcss, thatis to say if called subscriber has already replaced. his receiver, the releasing electrcinagnets M and N of the connector are grounded in the following circnit: battery G, contacts g 3/ side switch lever 8 (in position 8), re leasing electromagnet N and electroniag m Til head contact 6 and ground, whereby the connector and the side switch are returned into its rest position. In position 7 the side switch magnet S of the selector G is likewise directly connected with the interrnpter U so that the side switch moves into position 8. If the relays A, B and X in position T are no longer energized, that is to say it the calling subscriber has already replaced his receiver, in the position 8 current flows from battery by way of the side switch lever 7 contact by, releasing electroinagnets M and N and the head contact to the ground. The releasing electroinagnets ill and are hereby energized and connect themselves by way of the contact n into a holding circuit which is maintained until the selector descends into its rest posi tion and the head contact 72 is consequently opened. Fin'ther, the releasing electr01nagnet N opens a contact n whereby the high resistance relay H which has hitherto been short-circuited is connected into the line (1 The current thereby weakened in this line is not snliicient to maintain the excitation of the cutoff relay T The sensitive relay H, on the coi'itiary energized by this current, and by attracting its armature opens the contact 5 whereby the ii nit remains interrnpted by Way of the contact n even after the releasing electroniae H has become currenticss The releasing; relay T new releases its .rinature and disconnects the holding circuit for the relay V. As the interruption is new permanent, the relay V also releases its armature and after the contact o is closed, in consequence of the excitation of the rotary magnet l) of the preselector V W by way of the contact o of the relay V, the head contact 70 and the interrnptcr'U, the tire-selector returns into its rest position. The contact levers 0 0 0 oi the preselector VW leave the contacts of the lines (i l) 0 and the current in the relay H is interrupted i' the connection is not made, for example if the line was enga d, the selectors are released in. known manner. The operations at the selector 01V (at lwing broken a the aim the QT-(711p selector and line selector, veep-'1'."

tively, is shown in detail in Figs. 3 and it. It comprises an actuatin electromagnet S the armature 21 of w ich is connected through a tension spring 22 at yoke 23 of the frame. Armature 21 is pivoted at 24 and provided with an extension 25, which carries a detent 26, which abuts against the yoke and thus limits the motion of the armature in the direction of the tension of the spring. In the frame of the device is journaled a shaft 27, which carries a toothed segment 28 and a suitable number of switch arms 29. The extension 25 of armature 21 carries a awl 30, which cooperates with the teeth of t e segment 28. The frame of the apparatus also carries a spring pressed locking pawl 31, which also-engagesthe teeth of the segment and normally prevents their movement in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 4). Adjacentto electromagnet S is disposed electromagnet N with its armature 84, pivoted at 34. This armature carries an extension to which one end of spring 32 is attached, while the other end of this spring is attached to segment 28 in such manner that it tends to revolve this segment in the direction of the arrow after the segment has been previously moved opposite to the direction of the arrow. Each arm 29 cooperates with a suitable number of contact segments 35, which are located in the plane of rotation of the arm' detcnts 37 and 38, which cooperate respectively with pawls 30 and 31.

The device operates as follows: If magnet S is energized pawl 30 is lifted from one tooth into the next one. If the magnet is dctinergized armature 21 returns into its off position through the action of spring 22,

and the segment 28, and with it shaftt27 is moved onetooth opposite to the direction of the arrow, so that thereby arms 29 are moved from the first contact 35 to the next. By this movement the several circuits connected with the groups 1 to 7 and 10 to 17 in Figs. 1 and 2 are opened or closed according to their connections with the contacts '35. If new for the return of the device to normal magnet N is energized by suitable circuit connection previously described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2, its armature 34 is attracted and pawl 36, with its detents 37 and 38, releases pawls 30 and 31 respectively from, the teeth of. segment 38, so that the latter through the action of sprin 32 returns to its normal position in the direction of the arrow.

I claim 1. In an automatic telephone exchange comprising switches for interconnectin'ga calling line with :1 called line, the combine tion of a meter associated with the calling line, a quick acting relay and a slow acting relay energized during the conversation and deiinergized at the end'ofthe conversation, a meter circuit in dependence from the. called subscribers station and adapted to be closed momentarily at theend of the 'conversation when both of said relays are ,de energized.

prising automatic switches for connecting calling line with an idle automatic switch, a meter in the pre-selector and connected; to

the calling line, a cut-off relay in the preselector andenergized during the conversation, a retarding relay in the prc-selctor and energized during the conversatiom'and a circuit for the meter closed by way of *a working contact of the'retarding relay-and a rest contact of the cut-off relay. 3. In an automatic telephone system comprising a pre-selector, one or more selectors 2. In an automatic telephone system comand a connector for connecting a calling line with a called line, the combination of a meter in the pre-selector and connected to the calling line, a cut-off relay in the pre-selector and energized during the conversation by a circuit closed by way of the first selector, means in the first selector. for causing the said relay to release its armature, a retarding /relay in the pre-selector and energizcd during the conversation, and a circult for the meter closed by way'of a working contact of the retarding relay and a rest contact of the cut-off relay.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

onono GRABE.

Witnesses:

Wommma. HAurr,

HENRY HAsrEn. 

